Page 101 of Dare To Take

The words repeat over and over in my head.

My heart screams inside my chest.

Tell him. Tell him. Tell him.

Kellan’s voice is deathly calm when he continues to speak, oblivious of my inner turmoil.

“You’ve only had a small taste of what he can do. He’s not even trying to hurt you right now. You understand that, don’t you?”

The truth tumbles from my lips. “Kellan, I’m being—”

Before I can finish the sentence, the fire alarm screeches through the room. Chairs are scraped back, and students grab their bags and coats. Kellan jumps up and stalks for the door. I’m left hanging, the truth still on the tip of my tongue. I move slowly, to join the flow of people out of the building until we’re standing out in the snow.

My phone vibrates, and I check it.

Unknown number: You look a little too comfortable with Kellan. Don’t let him sit with you again. We hope you weren’t going to tell him about our game.

Oh shit, no.

I twist my head from side to side, uneasiness almost drowning me under its weight.

Me: No.

Unknown number: We don’t believe you. Keep your mouth shut, or you’ll regret opening it. This is your only warning.

Me: Eli got hurt. I don’t want to play anymore.

Unknown number: You don’t get to choose when you can stop. You play until we say you’re done.

A link pops up in the next message. I tap on it. It takes me straight to a video. Numbly I watch myself in the bathtub, immersed in the water, legs spread, my fingers playing with myself. A video I made for Sin.

Tears well in my eyes, but I blink them back.

***

Me: Are you behind the videos?

Me: Please, are you there?

Me: I don’t know who to talk to. They’re watching me all the time.

Me: I want to stop.

I will Sin to answer, staring down at the screen of the cell in my hand until my eyesight blurs.

Where is he? Why hasn’t he responded? Even if he tells me to go away, at least I’ll know he’s out there.

No one is going to believe me. Everyone will think I’m crazy. Whoever is doing this is careful and meticulous. It has to be Lacy. She was my roommate and knows most about me. It’s the only thing that makes sense. But why?

My thoughts are interrupted by scratching at my door. The hair on the back of my neck rises, and I tense. A quick glance at my clock tells me it’s midnight. The scraping continues, getting stronger.

“Arabella,” a male voice calls through the door. “Open up.”

Who is that? The voice is familiar.

Eli?

I crawl off the bed and inch my way across the room. The door is locked. I’ve made sure to keep it that way since the evening he burst in to accuse me of throwing a bloodied stuffed animal toy at him.

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